Frangible article shipping assembly



Aug. 18, 1959 R, E 2,900,157

FRANGIBLE ARTICLE SHIPPING ASSEMBLY Filed Nov. '28, 1955 United States Patent 2,900,157 Patented Aug 18, 9"

FRANGIBLE ARTICLE SHIPPING ASSEMBLY John Regis Anke, Pittsburgh, Pa., assignor to Allis-Chalmers Manufacturing Company, Milwaukee, Wis.

' Application November 28, 1955, Serial No. 549,403

' 4 Claims. (Cl. 248-119) This invention relates in general to frangible freight assemblies and in particular to an improved assembly for supporting articles such as large potential transformers during shipment.

For various reasons manufacturers have found it expedient at times to ship articles completely assembled and ready for use by the customer. One instance of this occurs in the manufacture of large potential transformers. Because of the relatively large insulating bushings which are required on a potential transformer, the care with which they must be handled,.and the accuracy with which they must be installed, it has been found desirable to assemble the bushing on the transformer prior to shipment of the transformer to the customer. I

In shipping these large potential transformers byrail or motor transport it. is desirable to prevent the normal road shocks which are encountered in transit from being imparted to the transformer. Such shocks might cause critical insulation clearances to be altered resulting in a failure of the transformer when put in operation. Accordingly in the past it has been the practice when shipping potential transformers to rigidly attach the base of the transformer to a mounting platform which is resiliently mounted with respect to the bed or frame of the carrier. This type of support assembly usually comprises a plurality of spring assemblies which are spaced around the perimeter of the mounting platform at predetermined points, usually the corners of the platform. Each of these spring assemblies comprises a main supporting compression spring disposed between the bed of the carrier and the mounting platform to absorb most of the road shock which normally would be imparted to the transformer in transit. The spring assemblies also usually include auxiliary compression springs disposed above the mounting platform coaxially with respect to the main springs and arranged to exert a slight downward force on the platform by means of bolts which are fixed with respect to the bed of the carrier. In one such arrangement a relatively long bolt extends from the bed of the carrier coaxially with the springs through the mounting platform and sufiiciently past the end of the auxiliary spring to allow a spring washer and nut to'be applied to the bolt. By tightening the nut the springs are compressed the desired amount to adequately bias the mounting platform with respect to the carrier and prevent normal road shocks from being transmitted to the transformer.

This type of arrangement has proved quite successfully in the past-for shipping potential transformers of the usual size. The spring assemblies in addition to providing adequate cushioning of the transformer for shock imparted in the vertical direction were also sufficient to provide a'cus'hioning eifect .for impact shocks in the lateral direction resulting, forexample, when a freight car is switched.

As the size and weight ofthe potential transformers were increased it was found that larger springs and hence longer mounting bolts were required to adequately bias the, mounting platform against theusual road shocks. However, the use oflonger bolts together with the increased weight of the potential transformer resulted in increased stress on the bolts when the assembly was subjected to impact shocks in the lateral or horizontal direction. It was found for instance that if an assembly which was sufficient to provide cushioning in the vertical directtion was subjected to an impact shock comparable to that encountered when a freight car is being switched, the momentumof the transformer was sufficient to bend the longer mounting bolt beyond their elastic limit. When this resulted, the bias of the mounting platform with respect to the bed of the carrier was affected sufliciently to cause the potential transformer to be damaged either from another lateral shock or from the continual vertical jarring encountered thereafter in transit.

The present'invention provides an improved supporting assembly of the type referred to above in which the problem of bending the mounting bolts of the spring assemblies beyond their elastic limits is avoided. Ac-

cording'to the present invention a support assembly is provided for transporting frangible articles which includes spring biased tie bars disposed substantially parallel to the normal direction of the carrier, the ends of the tie bars connected respectively to the platform and the bed of the carrier thereby limiting the relative transverse movement between the platformand the carrier.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide'an improved assembly for supporting frangible articles during shipment.

A further object of the present invention is to provide in freight shipping assemblies having a mounting plat form which is resiliently mounted with respect to the bed of a carrier, an improved biasing arrangement for limiting the transverse movement of the mounting platform relative to the bed of the carrier.

Objects and advantages other than those mentioned above will become apparent from the following description when read in connection with the drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a side view in elevation of a freight supporting assembly embodying the present invention; and

Fig. 2 is a front view of the assembly shown in Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawing there is illustratedin Fig. 1 generally a frangible article to be shipped which in this instance comprises a relatively large potential transformer 11, a support assembly 12 for transformer 11, and a bed 13 of a carrier (not shown). a

Potential transformer 11 comprises a casing 16 whichencloses the core and'windi'ng of the transformer and a relatively tall insulating bushing 17. A potential transformer representative of that illustrated in Fig. 1 may have a shipping weight of five thousand pounds or more and an overall height of twelve feet or more from the top of the bushing 17 to the base 18 of transformer 11.

The supporting assembly 12 comprises a mounting platform 20 to which base 18 of transformer 11 is fixedly attached during shipment. The support assembly further includes means for resiliently attaching platform 20 to the bed 13. Preferably, this means comprises a plurality of spring assemblies 22 spaced at predetermined points around the perimeter of platform 20. As shown in the drawing, three spring assemblies 22 are shown along a line at each end of the platform 20 transverse to the normal direction of travel of the carrier which may be assumed to be from left to right in Fig. 1.

The various spring assemblies 22 are identical so only one is described in detail. Each spring assembly-22 comprises 'a main supporting spring 23, an auxiliary dampen-v 24 is. disposed coaxially with respect to spring 23 above platform 20. Mounting bolt 25, washer 26 and lock nut.

27 maintain the springs acting normally to the bed 13 and are arranged so that when lock nut 27 is turned springs 24 and 23 are compressed. As shown, one end of the bolt 25 is fixedly attached to base 29 which in turn is fixedly attached to bed 13, but if desired base 29 may be omitted and bolt 25 fixedly attached to the bed 13.

With potential transformer 11 disposed on the mounting platform the spring assemblies 22 are adjusted to a predetermined extent by means of the lock nut 25 so that the mounting platform 20 is biased with respect to the bed 13 and little or no road shocks are transmitted tov the transformer 11 during transit.

In order to prevent the relative long bolts 25 from being bent past their elastic limit when the assembly is subjected to a severe lateral shock acting in the direction of movement of the carrier, spring biased tie bars are provided between the mounting platform 20 and the base 29. Tie bars 35 limit the horizontal travel of mounting platform 20 with respect to the base 29 and the bed 13 of the carrier.

As shown, two sets of tie bars 35 are provided on the assembly, one set to prevent excess relative horizontal movement in one direction of the carrier and the other set to prevent excessive relative horizontal movement in the opposite direction of the carrier. As shown in Fig. 2 tie bars 35a limit movement of the platform 20 to the right with respect to bed 13 and tie bars 35b limit movement to the left.

Each of the tie bars 35 are similar in function and operation so only one is described. The spring biased tie bar 35 includes a pair of L-shaped brackets 39 one of which is attached to the lengthwise side of the mounting platform 20 near the forward corner thereof, and the other of which is attached to the same side of the base 13 at the rearward corner thereof. The base portion 40 of each L-shaped bracket extends out from the side of the mounting platform 20 and base 29, and are each provided with a suitable opening 41 for receiving bar 35 in sliding engagement therewith. Compression springs 44 are inserted over each end of bar 35 extending past base portions 40 of brackets 39 and a nut 45 cooperates with the threaded ends of the bar to apply a predetermined compression to springs 44.

The above described arrangement of the spring biased tie bars 35 have been found suflicient to absorb substantially all lateral shocks encountered in transit and prevent straining the mounting bolts 25 past their elastic limit.

While only one embodiment of the present invention has been illustrated and described it should be apparent to those skilled in the art that modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention or from the scope of the appended claims.

It is claimed and desired to secure by Letters Patent:

1. An arrangement for shipping a transformer having a relatively large bushing comprising in combination a carrier having a horizontal base; a mounting platform, means for fixedly securing only the bottom of said transformer to said platform to prevent relative movement therebetween, means for resiliently mounting said platform with respect to said base comprising a plurality of spring assemblies operable to prevent road shocks encountered by said carrier in transit from being imparted to said transformer, each of said spring assemblies including coil spring means acting along a predetermined axis substantially normal to said base and guide means for maintaining the action of said spring means along said axis and resilient means for limiting the relative horizontal movement of said platform with respect to said base comprising a pair of compression spring biased tie bars, each said tie bar having one end movably connected to the forward portion of said platform and the other end .4 movably connected to the rearward portion of said base, to prevent straining said guide. means beyond its elastic limit when the forward movement of said carrier is stoped suddenly.

2. An arrangement for shipping a potential transformer having a relatively tall bushing comprising in combination a carrier having a horizontal base, a mounting platform, means for fixedly mounting said potential transformer to said platform, means for resiliently mounting said. platform with respect to said base comprising a plurality of coil spring assemblies operable to prevent said shocks encountered by said carrier in transit from being imparted to said article, each of said spring assemblies including guide means for causing said assemblies to act vertically with respect to said carrier, and impact absorbing means for limiting the horizontal movement of said platform relative to said base, said absorbing means comprising first brackets attached to the forward portion of said platform, second brackets attached to the rearward portion of said base, a bar extending between said first and second brackets in sliding engagement therewith and compression spring biasing means acting between each end of said bar and said brackets.

3. An arrangement for shipping a frangible article comprising in combination a carrier having a horizontal base; a mounting platform, means for fixedly securing said article to said platform to prevent relative movement therebetween, means for resiliently mounting said platform to said base comprising a plurality of spring assemblies operable to prevent road shocks encountered, by said carrier in transit from being imparted to said article, each of said spring assemblies including coil springs acting along a predetermined axis substantially normal to said base and a bolt disposed coaxially with said springs for maintaining the action of said springs along said axis, and a tie bar extending longitudinally between one end of said platform and the opposite end of said base and means for connecting said tie bar to said ends of said platform and said base in movable relation thereto, one of said means comprising a biasing compression spring for limiting the relative horizontal movement of said platform with respect to said base.

4. An arrangement for shipping a transformer comprising in combination a carrier having a horizontal base; a mounting platform, means for fixedly securing said transformer to said platform to prevent relative movement therebetween, means for resiliently mounting said platform to said base comprising a plurality of spring assemblies spaced around the perimeter of said platform and operable to prevent road shocks encountered by said carrier in transit from being imparted to said article, each of said spring assemblies including coil springs acting along a predetermined axis substantially normal to said base and between said base and said platform, and a bolt disposed on said axis and fixed to said base for maintaining the action of said springs along said axis, and a tie bar extending longitudinally between one end of said platform and the opposite end of said base and movably connected to said ends of said platform and said base by a biasing compression spring means on each end of said tie bar for limiting the relative horizontal movement of said platform with respect to said base.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 452,992 Dobbie May 26, 1891 2,628,660 Goodspeed May 17, 1927 2,701,574 Hollerith Feb. 8, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS 311,068 Great Britain May 9', 1929 501,130 Great Britain Feb. 13, 1939 501,161 Great Britain Feb. 22, 1939 

